Diamonds at Jitters
by steepedinshadows419
Summary: College!AU - It's Christmas Eve, and Barry has a special surprise for Iris. Barry/Iris. One-shot. [Sequel to Love at Jitters.]


**A/N:** Written for **lyta2323** for the _Westallen Secret Santa 2019_ event on tumblr. Also a sequel to my fic, Love at Jitters.

*****Many thanks to **sendtherain** for beta'ing.

*****I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

...

The snow fell light and fluffy outside Iris' window, signifying winter had finally come to Central City.

And on Christmas Eve, no less.

She had a date with Barry later – they'd managed to squeeze an hour into their calendars for just the two of them amidst the family gatherings that required their attention, which added up to a lot of time between both their extended families. Iris couldn't explain why, but she was unspeakably nervous. Not that there was anything to be nervous about, but still. It had been 10 and a half months since their first impromptu date. They'd been through a lot – Iris' birthday, meeting the parents, Iris' brother, Barry's idol (Harrison Wells), their best friends and roommates, a handful of not-very-serious arguments, and probably the most passionate sex Iris had ever been party to.

But _Christmas_. Christmas felt big.

Iris' phone buzzed on her vanity where she stood applying her make-up and making sure _this_ pair of earrings was truly the one for her short-sleeved, black velvet dress with matching heels.

Seeing the name, she smiled before hitting the answer button and speaker.

"Hey, Lin. What's up?"

"You sound happy," Linda Park said, cheeky as ever.

"It's Christmas Eve. What would I have to be unhappy about? It's my favorite holiday. And-"

"You're hoping Barry goes down on bended knee."

Iris nearly choked on her own breath.

"W-What?" she wheezed.

"Aha! I knew it!" Linda cheered.

"You don't know anything," Iris said, trying to get herself focused again now that her lipstick had been drawn in a crooked line across the bottom of her cheek. "Barry is _not_ proposing tonight."

"You don't know that."

"I do know that. We're having a romantic dinner, just the two of us, and then we're going to his side of the family tonight and mine tomorrow."

"So. Just the two of you, huh?"

Iris sighed and rolled her eyes. There was no stopping her best friend when she got ahead of herself.

"What are _you_ doing tonight? Are you getting together with Peter again?"

She gagged through the phone.

"I guess that's a no."

"That's an 'oh, God, no'."

"Did something happen? I thought you really liked him."

"Uh-uh. My body liked his body."

"Ah."

"Once he started talking about his life and his job and his passions…oh, my god, I couldn't stand it."

Iris chuckled to herself.

"So, what are you doing then?" There was a moment of silence. "Lin?"

"Hmm? Oh, um… you know…"

"Don't tell me you're spending Christmas Eve alone."

"_What_?" she squeaked. "No way. I'm a party animal, you know that."

"Oh, yeah? So, whose party are you going to?"

"Well, now nobody's, since the biggest party of the year Peter will be at." She frowned, disappointed in the predicament she'd created for herself.

"I can cancel," Iris started to say, but even as she did, she was glad Linda cut her off with a negative. Despite the weird nerves she had, she was really looking forward to seeing Barry tonight and exchanging gifts. She didn't want to cancel.

"No. You are not canceling. No way in hell am I gonna let you miss your own proposal."

Iris rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"Okay, so what are you going to do then? I can't have my best friend all alone on Christmas Eve. Single shouldn't mean solitary confinement."

Linda blew locks out of her face.

"Don't you have a brother?"

Iris brows narrowed. "Linda, no."

"I'm not gonna sleep with him," she said, appalled.

"Good," Iris said. "He's practically a baby. And he just got out of a serious relationship."

"How serious could it be if they're still teenagers?"

The silent tension could be cut with a knife.

"Okay, okay…just thought he could use some company. Like, the platonic kind. Maybe ice skating? I used to do that with my brother back home."

Iris was skeptical but finally reluctantly agreed.

"I'll give him a call."

"Great! Maybe I can get him to drink the spicy hot cocoa they have at the rink this year. I bet it'll blow his mind."

"He doesn't like spicy food."

"Even better."

Iris' wariness increased tenfold.

"_Relax_," Linda said. "I'll bring him back in one piece and untouched. You have my word."

With everything inside her, Iris really wanted to believe her best friend.

"I'll talk to you later, Lin."

"Later, babe."

_Click_.

Trying to put the image of her player of a best friend and her sweetheart of an 18-year-old baby brother aside, Iris nearly jumped when the phone buzzed again. But this time she was ready – her make-up fixed and earrings chosen – even as her cheeks burned with anticipation.

"Hey, Barry," she said, almost a purr.

"Hey." His lovestruck tone melted her always. "You ready?"

She nodded, biting her bottom lip as she started to fantasize about undressing him – until she realized he couldn't see her.

"Iris?"

"Ah, yes, I'm ready. I'll be down in a sec."

"Okay. I'll meet you in the lobby."

"'Kay."

Five minutes later Iris was downstairs looking at the nervous wreck that was her boyfriend pacing back and forth in the lobby.

"Babe," she called out, more than once because he was so absorbed in his own thoughts to register her voice. Finally, though, he stopped pacing and looked at her and his jaw dropped.

Iris slid her warm wrap down her arms so he could get a full look at her dress.

"Not too shabby, huh?" She grinned, her eyes twinkling.

He closed the space between them and took her in his arms.

"I'd ravish you right here if we didn't have plans for the night," he said against her lips.

"And if there weren't cameras," she said, pointing them out to him.

His shoulders slumped, and she laughed, adoring every second of the expressions that crossed his face.

"We can do this, though," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his face down to hers for a quick greeting kiss.

"Mmm, that's pretty good," he murmured against her lips. "How about another one?"

She granted his request, but then made a point to pull away just as he started to take charge with the clear intention of a passionate make-out right there in her apartment lobby.

"We have a date," she whispered, and he sighed.

"Yes…yes, we do." Then he jumped back, eyes wide. "We do!"

Iris laughed and looked at him strangely.

"So…should we go then?" she asked.

"Yes!" He grinned. "Let's go."

He took her hand in his, pulled her out of the building, and revealed to her their mode of transportation for the night.

A long stretch limo with their own personal driver.

"Ms.?" The driver opened the back door for her to step in.

"I…thank you." She slipped into the vehicle and Barry rounded the other side. "Barry," she half-scolded. "This had to have cost you a fortune. I know it's Christmas Eve, but-"

He silenced her with a drugging kiss.

"Mmm, okay, talk later."

He grinned against her lips and gave the driver the signal to drive to their destination.

…

A cold wind whipped against her face as Barry led her up a long, winding staircase with his hands over her eyes.

"Barry, are you sure this is the most practical thi-" She gasped, tripping over a step.

Wrapped around her back, Barry made sure she wouldn't fall.

"Probably not," he said. "But we're almost there."

"Almost _where_?"

Barry peeled his hands away as soon as he guided her through the final door.

At first glance, the table set before them looked like a beautifully romantic setting on the top of an otherwise bare rooftop. But for Iris, she knew _exactly_ where they were.

"Jitters?" she blanched, turning to face him – which was difficult when she was facing the candlelit table for two with roses and lights and two men, one playing violin and the other a cello, whisking her away into a romantic fairytale.

But she managed, because damn it, she was in love with the man who had prepared it all.

Barry chuckled.

"There's no surprising you, is there?"

She shook her head, a million questions buzzing in her mind.

"It feels special to us – or to me at least. I mean, it's where we –"

"First met," she finished, smiling.

"Yeah," he said softly.

When she said nothing more, he guided her to the table and pulled her chair back for her to sit on. Then he rounded the small table and nodded to the musicians to begin.

"This is so romantic, Barry," she marveled sometime later when he was pouring champagne.

"Is that your way of saying you like it?"

"I love it, and you know it."

Barry's eyes twinkled when their eyes met.

"I was hoping you would."

"I should've expected something like this, but I just…didn't, I guess. But wow, Barry, I'm…" She licked her lips. "I'm in love."

She'd said the words before, and to him too, but it never ceased having an effect on him, one that was drugging for her to witness.

"I'll never get tired of you saying that," he said, then reached across the table to take her hand in his own and kiss the back. "I'm in love too."

"With me," she said, her eyelashes fluttering of their own accord.

"With you," he confirmed, and pressed his forehead into her palm.

Iris didn't know how much more of this she could stand. She'd gotten nervous over the prospect of him proposing tonight when Linda had teased her about it, but now she couldn't imagine him _not_ doing it. Not on such a perfect night as this. She imagined telling all her friends and family – Barry better have asked her dad for his permission to marry her or he'd have a fit. Tradition was tradition, and Joe West took it very seriously.

But she wasn't worried. Barry Allen was the only boyfriend her dad had actually taken to, even if it took some family game nights to get him to that place.

_God, could he just ask her already?_ He didn't even need a ring right now. If he would just _ask_, she would say yes. She wanted to so badly it almost hurt.

"Dance with me," she said, the soft music and gentle wind blowing around them. The December chill was nothing. The heat rising off their skin kept them warm.

Barry lifted his head and smiled. Then the two of them walked a little ways from the table and began slow-dancing.

"I love you, Iris," he whispered, his face against the top of her head as she rested hers against his chest.

"I love you, Barry," she said, voice muffled against his jacket but clear as day to his ears.

"I hope it's not too much to say I think we're destined to be together…"

She shook her head against him. It used to bother her when he brought up his certainty regarding fate and destiny so early in their relationship. But now she believed it almost as fervently as he did.

"Not too much, Bear."

He licked his lips. "You sure?"

Iris smiled and looked up at him.

"Our second date was you taking me to meet your parents. If I didn't run away then, I'm never going to."

He sucked in a breath. "Good to know."

She pulled his head down and gave him a sweet kiss as the music carried on the wind.

"Oh, Iris," he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers.

"What?" she teased, loving when she made him weak in the knees.

"I really wanted to wait until after we'd eaten."

Her eyes flashed open.

"Wait for what?"

He pulled back and dug around in his pocket for what felt like an eternity.

"Oh, my God…" fell past her lips when she saw the size and shape of the velvet box in his hands.

His gentle smile turned into a smirk.

"What… What is that?" She couldn't look him in the eye. She was almost shaking.

"Your Christmas present."

"Huh?"

Her brows furrowed as disappointment engulfed her. Maybe it wasn't an engagement ring after all. It could be earrings for all she knew. And here she'd let Linda's claims get to her, convincing her she'd be engaged by the end of the night.

But then he got down on one knee, and he opened the little velvet box, and the most dazzling engagement ring shone up at her, sparkling in the moonlight, candlelight, and Christmas lights strung around the rooftop.

"Iris West…"

She swallowed hard.

"A lot of people would say you and me meeting at Jitters 10 months ago was just a coincidence, but I don't believe that. You know I don't. I'm not a 'It's just pure luck' guy. I'm a 'there's no coincidences' guy. You walked into my life right when I needed it, and now, Iris…I can't imagine my life without you. I love you with my whole heart, and I always will."

He pulled the ring from its case and stuffed the box back in his pocket. He took her hand in his and let the ring hover over the tip of her ring finger.

"Will you marry me?"

Tears filled her eyes and she nodded for several seconds before she could speak.

"Yes! Yes! Of course, I'll marry you, YES!"

Barry slid the ring onto her finger, then jumped to his feet and kissed her. The musicians clapped wildly before starting a peppy tune as Barry picked Iris up and spun her around, inhaling her light giggles like oxygen before setting her down again.

Smiling so much her cheeks hurt, Iris finally lifted the diamond to eye-level.

"Wow, it's beautiful, Barry. Really."

He smiled, proud of his selection.

"I'm never taking it off."

"Well, maybe in the shower…or for dishes…"

"Nope. Never. It's mine now. It's never coming off."

He swooned, staring at her, never looking away.

"Besides," she said innocently before looking up at him. "Who says I'm going to do the dishes?"

His jaw dropped, and she laughed. He got up and leaned across the table and kissed her to silence them.

Then his suit caught on fire from the candlelight, and Iris threw her glasses of champagne and water on him to stop the flames.

"Well, at least it happened after the proposal," he said, and Iris stood up again, pulling him away.

"Dance with me again," she said, and he wrapped his arms around her, guiding her into a slow spin. She kicked off her heels and drew herself closer to him.

"I'll never stop," he said, and she knew this time he wasn't talking about dancing.

She felt the shivers trickle down her spine as she repeated the sentiment.

"Me either."

...

**A/N:** The parkwest hints were deliberate. If you'd like to see a companion piece for the Wally & Linda side to the story, please let me know!


End file.
